Wire-fence lock and stay



(No Model.)

G. S.- BARTHOLOMEW.

WIRE FENCE LOOK AND STAY. No. 501,240. Patented July 11, 1893,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GROVE S. BARTHOLOMEW, OF GARVANZA, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE-FENCE LOCK AND STAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,240, dated July 11,1893.

Application filed Tune 18, 1892. Serial No. 437,205- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GROVE S. BARTHOLO- MEW, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Garvanza, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire- FenceLocks and Stays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of wire stays designed to be appliedto a series of horizontally arranged fence wires to hold them in thesame position relative to each other.

The object of my invention is to producea stay of this class which,while it may be quickly placed in position and fastened upon a fencewire, is adapted to tightly grip the fence wire so that the stay willnot slip along the fence wire and may thus be employed upon smoothhorizontal wires to serve as pickets of the fence.

My invention consists of a stay and lock consisting of a wire having aseries of looking loops therealong, each loop comprising the combinationof a U shaped memberhaving its two arms arranged in substantially thesame plane but separate from each other, and a single member arranged ata. point substantially mid-way between the arms of, but at one side ofthe plane of such U shaped member; the U shaped member and the singlemember being arranged with relation to each other to receive a fencewire therebetween and to be clamped upon the fence wire by suitablemeans and to crimp the fence wire between the members of the loops.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1. isa front elevation of one form of my improved fence lock andstay. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same form. Fig. 3 is a front view ofthe same form clamped upon the horizontal wires of the fence. Fig. 4 isaside View of the same form clamped upon the horizontal fence wires. Fig.5 shows the stay with a different form of bend which is reversible or invcrtible. Fig. 6 is a side View of the reversible or invertible form.Fig. 7 is a front view of the invertible form applied to the horizontalfence wires. Fig.8 is a side view of the invertible form clamped to thefence wires. Fig. 9 shows the invertible form of stay inverted. Fig. 10is a sectional fragmental View looking down at line 00-50 Figs. 3 and 4.I

In the drawings AA indicate my improved fence locks and stays.

B B indicate the fence wires.

The form of loop I consider preferable as giving a more completefastening for the wire and also a more ornamental appearance is thatshown in Figs.'1, 2, 3 and 4:. In each form the U shaped wire securingloop or seat b is formed of two wire embracing members O- and D, one ofwhich members (D) is double and comprises two arms d d (d d) which arearranged one on each side of the extended plane of the U shaped loop orseat; the whole of each loop being formed by a bend in the wire whichforms the stay, and the two arms d d of the double member being arrangedat one side of and in a plane transverse the U shaped loop 'or wirereceiving seat b, so that both arms will rest against one side of thefence wire when it is in the seat I). The preferred form'shown in Figs.1, 2, 3 and 4 differs from the other form shown in the succeedingfigures in that the double member D of the U seat is of circular formwhile the two arms 01'' d of the double member B of the other form aresubstantially straight and are arranged substantially parallel with eachother and with the single member 0. In this latter form the bend of thewire is so abrupt that it is difficult tosecure as perfect clamping ascan be secured with greater ease, with the other form. This latter form,however, is superior to the first form in that it is reversible orinvertible. That is to say, it can be applied to the bends with eitherend up with equal facility.

In practice the stays are provided at the upper end (or the end that isdesigned to be ordinarily placed uppermost) with some ornamental design,such as the ring a, and the other end is left plain and straight.

The stays thus manufactured are placed upon the market and are ready foruse. 7 To apply the same, the fence wires are first stretched and theoperator then places a stay vertically against the fence at the desiredpoint and then lays or inserts the horizontal wire of the fence in theseat 7) between the members D and C of the U bend, and witha pair ofpliers bends the upper loop of the double member of the U and the othermember O firmly together thus clamping the fence wire firmly in place.The stays may be placed close together to make a tight picket fence ormay be arranged at greater distances apart to simply serve the purposeof wire stays to prevent the wires from being spread apart. The fencewire being engaged at three points at each loop, two points ofengagement being upon the same side of the wire and the third pointbeing upon the opposite side of the wire, substantiallymid-way betweenthe members of the U, when the stay is clamped upon the horizontal wire,such wire will be slightly bent or crimped (as shown in Fig. 10) by theforce thus applied and this assists in retaining the stay in place uponthe wire. Furthermore the clamping of the wire by the stay at threedifferent points gives a greater amount of friction than has heretoforebeen obtained and thus forms a union which prevents displacement of thestay along the wire.

My invention is to be distinguished from that character of fence staysin which the stay is provided with a series of N shaped oblique hookeyes or loops by means of which the stay may be locked upon the fencewire by turning the stay on its axis. The securing loop in suchconstruction does not crimp the fence wire nor clamp it tightly and whenforce is brought to bear laterally against the stay it will slide alongthe fence wire thus impairing the beauty and utility of the fence andrendering the stay of slight value for use as a picket.

If it is desired to have the top of the fence of a picket character thestays may be inverted as indicated in Fig 9 thus leaving the straightsharp point a projecting upward. Such inversion does not alter theoperation of applying the stays to the fence wires where the stays usedare of the form shown in Fig. 5 and succeeding figures, butif the stayused is of the form shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the U is inverted andthe wire must be lifted up into it instead of being laid down in it asis the case when such stay is in the position shown in the drawings.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article of manufacture the improved lock and stay set forthconsisting of a wire having a series of locking loops therealong, eachloop comprising the combination of a U shaped member having its armsarranged in substantially the same plane but separate from each other,and a single member arranged at a point substantially midway between thearms of, but at one side of the plane of such U shaped member; the Ushaped member and the single member being arranged to receive a fencewire therebetween and adapted to be clamped upon the fence wire bysuitable means and thus crimp the fence wire between the members of theloops.

2. As a new article of manufacture the improved fence lock and stay setforth consisting of a wireprovided with aseries of U shaped wiresecuring loops or seats formed of two wire embracing members, one ofwhich members is double and comprises two arms which are arranged one oneach side of the extended plane of the U shaped loop or seat; the wholeof each loop being formed by a bend in the wire which forms the stay,andthe two arms of the double member being arranged in a plane transversethe U shaped loop.

3. The combination set forth of a series of horizontal fence wires andthe stay provided with a series of U shaped wire securing loops or seatsformed respectively of two wire embracing members one of which membersis double and comprises two arms which are arranged one on each side ofthe extended plane of the U shaped loop or seat; the whole of such loopbeing formed bya bend in the wire which forms the stay, and the two armsof the double member being arranged transverse the wire receiving seatand the several members being clamped upon each other and upon the wireseated in such U shaped seat.

GROVE S. BARTI-IOLOMEVV.

Witnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, F. M. TOWNSEND.

